Assembling apparatus



Aug. l5, 1944. E. BERTALAN 2,355,833

ASSEMBLING APPARATUS WMZ@ H TTOBNEY Aug. l5, 1944. E. BERTALAN 2,355,833

ASSEMBLING APPARATUS Filed June 18, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 RNE Y PatentedAug. 15, 1944 'UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,355,833 Assmmnmc APPARATUSEdward Bertalan, Glen Arm, Md., assignor to Western Electric Company.'Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York ApplicationJulie 18, 1943, Serial No. 491,286

7l Umm.

This invention relates to assemblyingapparatus and more particularly toapparatus for assembling insulator discs on a core for use in makingconcentric conductor cables.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple and practicableapparatus for efficiently assembling discs on a core.

Inaccordance with the above object, one embodiment of the invention, asapplied to the assembling of radially slit or slotted insulator discs ona central conductor of coaxial cable units, comprises a reciprocablymounted slide, a pair of plungers carried by and reclprocablevtransversely of the movement of the slide and displaced laterally ofeach other longitudinally of and at opposite sides of a continuouslyadvancing conductor for simultaneously receiving from supplies slotteddiscs with the open ends ofthe slots aligned with the conductor andpressing them thereonto in spaced relation, and means for advancing theconductor, reciprocating the slide, and operating the plungerssimultaneously in timed relation to cause'the plungers to receive discsfrom the supplies and assemble them on theA conductor in predetermineduniform spaced relation in a continuous advance of the conductor.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appearfrom the following detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings. in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of anapparatus forfassembling slotted insulator discs on a central conductorof coaxial cable units, embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view, on a reduced scale, of the apparatusshown in Fig. 1 and, in addition, illustrating means for operating thereciprocatory' slide, continuously advancing the conductor through theapparatus and means for vapplying a tubular conductor over the insulatordiscs as the conductor and discs assembled thereon advance from theapparatus;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1 showing theplungers for applying the slotted discs to the conductor in theirretracted positions;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. l showing thedisc supplying means;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view of Fig. lshowing the plungers in their actuatedpositions after withdrawing discsfrom the supply` means and applying them in spaced relation onthecentral conductor;

Fig. '7 is an enlarged perspective' view of a plunger actuator;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the plungers; and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of a short length of centralconductor with slotted discs assembled thereon by means-of the apparatusof this invention and showing an outer tubular conductor surrounding thediscs.

Referring to the drawings, particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, a mainsupporting base of the apparatus is fragmentarily indicated at I5 andattached to its upper face are two spaced bars I6, upon the upper facesof which, at opposite ends, are vertically journalled guide rolls I1.Mounted on the bars I6 and engaging at their opposite longitudinal edgesthe rolls I1 is a slide plate I8 which, in the operation of theapparatus, is continuously reciprocated by a rotating cam disc I9provided with a heart shaped cam track 20 (Fig. 3), in which rides a camfollower 2I carried on a link 22 operatively connected to the slideplate .and guided rectilinearly in a guide member 23 xed to the base I5.The cam disc I9 is journalled at 24 on the base I5 and is driven by asprocket and chain, indicated at 25, from a driving source (not shown).

Continuously advanced longitudinally above the slide plate I8 in thedirection of the arrow (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) from a supply (not shown) is acentral conductor 25 for a coaxial cable unit on which are assembled, inpredetermined uniformly spaced relation, by means to be presentlydescribed, radially slotted insulator discs 21, the discs serving tohold an outer tubular conductor 28 spaced an equal distance from theconductor 26 throughout the length of the cable. The discs 21 areprovided with slots 29, having restricted portions 30 of such dimensionsthat, when pressed onto the conductor 26, they snap into position andgrip the same so firmly that they are not easily displaced in subsequenthandling operations. As shown in Fig. 9, alternate discs 21 are arrangedwith their slots 29 diametrically opposite one another so that thetubular conductor 28 will withstand the usual flexing and bending of thecable, to which it may be subjected, without distortion or breakdown.The tubular conductor 28 may be formed and applied around the insulatordiscs 2'I during the continuous advance of the conductor 26 and theapplication of the discs thereto by a forming die, fragmentarilyindicated in general at 3 I, the conductor, discs and tubular conductorcomprising the cable assemblage being advanced at a predetermined rateof speed by a capstan 32 and taken up by suitable means (not shown). Amore de tailed disclosure and description of the die 3| and takeup meansis not believed necessary since it forms no part of the presentinvention and is not necessary to a complete understanding thereof.

Mounted upon the slide plate I8 adjacent its left end and oppositelongitudinal edges thereof, by means of inverted U-shaped guide members33, are a pair of laterally displaced plungers 36 and 31, which arereciprocable transversely of and during the movement of the reciprocableslide plate, by means to be presently described, to simultaneouslywithdraw slotted discs 21 from aligned supply means 38 and 39 arrangedupon the slide plate I8 adjacent each side of the longitudinallyadvancing conductor 26 and press them onto the conductor. By providinglaterally displaced plungers, two discs 21 may be assembledsimultaneously in predetermined spaced relation on the conductor 26 foreach actuation of the plungers.

The disc supply means 38 and 39 comprise an arcuate shaped plate 40fixed to a supporting member 43 of similar shape, which is xed to araised portion 44 on the slide plate I8. Free outer ends of the plate 40are circular in cross-section, as indicated at 45, to freely t into theinner similar shaped ends of the slots 29 of the discs 21. Thus, thesupplies of discs 21 threaded onto the circular-like ends 45 of theplate 40 are supported in predetermined diametrically opposed alignedrelation to each other with the open ends of their slots facing inwardlytoward opposite sides of and in alignment with the longitudinal axis ofthe advancing conductor 28, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The discs 21progressively move downwardly on the plate 40 from an initial horizontalto a vertical position, as each disc is removed therefrom, the endvertical discs moving into aligned pockets y46 of the plungers 36 and 31when the plungers are retracted from their advanced positions, shown inFig. 6, to inoperative or normal positions, shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Slots 48 formed in the inner ends of the plungers 36 and 31 permit theentrance of the conductor 26 when the plungers are advanced to carry thepocketed discs and assemble them onto the conductor. A Weight 50 (Fig.2) is mounted on the upper discs 21 of the supply means 38 and 39 tofacilitate their downward movement. Aligned slots are formed in theplate 40, supporting member 43 and portion 44 of the slide plate I8 topermit the passage of the conductor 26 and laterally support it betweenthe oppositely arranged supplies of discs, the bottom wall of the slotin the slide plate portion 44 serving to support and align the conductoras it approaches the plungers 36 and 31. The plate 40 is so shaped atits lower inner end that it terminates close to the left side faces ofthe plungers 36 and 31 having the pockets 46 therein. Thus the discs arepositively supported and guided right up to such plunger faces andagainst which faces they abut and slide on during movements of theplungers when advancing to assemblel the pocketed discs onto theconductor (Fig. 6).

It will also be noted that the right face 0f the inner end of theplunger 36 extends close to the left face of the inner end of theplunger 31 and overlaps therewith when the plungers are advanced topress the discs 21 carried in the plunger pockets 46 onto the conductor26. Thus, the length of the conductor 26 entered vin the slots 48 of theplungers 8.8 and 31 is laterally supported against the inner end wallsthereof adjacent the point at which the disc 21, pocketed in the plunger31, is pressed onto the conductor. Similarly, the length of theconductor 26 adjacent the point at which the disc 21, pocketed in theplunger 36,- is pressed onto the conductor is laterally supportedagainst the upper wall of the slot 5| in the disc supply means plate 40(Fig. 6) or as viewed in Fig. 5, the right wall thereof.

To cause the plungers 36 and 31 to simultaneously reciprocatetransversely of and during the reciprocation of the slide plate I8 forthe purpose of pressing in opposite directions a pair of discs 21 ontothe continuously advancing conductor 26 in predetermined uniform spacedrelation, the following mechanism is provided.

Since the actuating mechanism for each of the plungers 36 and 31 issimilar in construction and operation, but reversed in certain respectsdue to the plungers being arranged for movement towards each other fromopposite sides of the conducton, the following description applies toboth plungers although specifically directed to the -plunger 31.Horizontally pivoted at 52 between spaced lugs 53 of a bracket 54 xed tothe base l5 is an actuating member 55 having an inclined vertical endcam face 56 terminating at its inner end in a shouldered side face 51,the cam face 56 lying in the path of a cam follower or pin 58 carried byand projecting from the bottom face' of the plunger 31. The plunger isnormally maintained in a retracted or outer position, as shown in Figs.1, 3 and 4, by a tension spring 59 attached at opposite ends by means ofpins 68 and 6| to the plunger and the fixed guide member 33,respectively. A compression spring 62 entered in opposed depressions inthe bracket 54 and the actuating member 55 normally tends to rock thelatter member clockwise about its pivot 52 to its operative position, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which position its right end is abutting theupper face of the bracket and its upper face is in the plane of theupper faces of the bracket lugs 53. As clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, itwill be noted that the upper faces of the lugs 53 and the upper face ofthe right end of the actuating member 55 are arranged below the bottomface of the plunger pin 58 and also that the left end of the plunger isinclined upwardly and is provided with an inclined horizontal upper camface 63,

' which rises from the plane of the upper face of the right end thereofto its left end upper face. The purpose of these details of the plunger,which are also shown in Fig. 7, will be made apparent in the descriptionof operation to follow.

In the operation of the apparatus, it will be assumed that the cam track20 on the cam disc I9 and the cam faces 56 and 63 on the plungers 36 and31 have all been formed to provide the desired movements to the plungersduring each rotation of the cam disc I9 and that the latter is beingrotated in timed relation to the rate of advance of the conductor 26 bymeans of the capstan 32 to time correctly the periodic movements to beeffected thereby. During each complete rotation of the cam disc I9starting with the parts in the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, theslide plate |8 will be advanced rst to the right in timed relation tothe advance of the conductor 26 and the displaced plungers 36 and 31carried by the plate will be simultaneously moved inwardly from oppositesides of the conductor, as the plunger pins 58 ride upon the cam faces56 lof the i'lxed actuating members 55.

The msuiator discs -21 nested vin the plunger pockets 46 with the openends of Atheir. slots 28 aligned with and facing opposite sides'. of theconductor4 28 at the termination ofthe inward movements of the plungers36 and 31 are thus simultaneously advanced to land pressed onto theconductor' (Fig. 6). lImmediately upon the discs 21 being assembled uponthe conductor 26. the plunger pins 58 ride off the cam vfaces 56, alongand off the side faces 51 of the 'actuating members 55, whereupon thetension springs 58 act to draw the plungers outwardly, the pins 58moving freely across the upper faces of the actuating members.v Thisoutward movement of the vplungers is limited bythe pin's 50 engaging thevertical inner faces ofthe guide members 33, as shown in Fig. 1. At thispoint in kthe operating cycle of the apparatus, the slide plate I8,-

which has been moving tothe right, as viewed Y in Figs. 1 and 2, isquickly moved tothe left by the continuously rotating cam disc I 9.During this latter movement of the plate I8, the plunger receiving andthen assembling discs oir-the core at spaced intervals, a cam followeron said.re

ciprocating disc ,receiving and assembling means,

cam means on said base member for engaging .said follower and positivelyactuating said disc receiving and assembling means in one direction' assaid follower is moved past said cam in' one direction by saidreciprocating member to assemble discs on the core, and elastic4means'move rable with said reciprocating member effective duringmovements thereof in the reverse direction for moving said disc.receiving and assembling means in to'disc receiving position.

'3. Anapparatus for assemblng discs on a corel comprising a reciprocablemember,'means for j -longitudinally guiding anadvancing core parallelpins 58r`ide onto the-inclined cam faces 63 and Y I'his completesoneoperating cycle of the cam disc I9 and the plungers 36 and 3,1,during which two insulator discs .21, with their slots 28 facing inopposite directions, were simultaneously assembled on the continuouslyadvancing conductor 28 in predetermined uniform spaced relation andsuccessive pairs of discs are so assembled on the conductor for each.cycle of operation.

It will be understood that the embodiment herein described is merelyillustrative of the invention and one application thereof and thatmodifications can be made and it is capable of other applications.

For4 example, it is not necessary that the' plungers 36 and 31 beactuated simultaneously to apply the insulating discs -upon theconductor. The apparatus will operate satisfactorily when the plungersare operated at different times during the forward motion of the slideplate I8, provided the plungers are properly spaced. to cause to. themovement-of and spaced from'said member, recessed disc carrying means,arranged in predetermined spaced relation longitudinally of and atopposite' sides-.of the core carried by and movable transversely of themovement of said member for applying discs carried in the recessesthereof to the core, means for supplying' discs to the recesses of saidcarrying means, cam .fol-

lowerson said `disc carrying and applying means',

cam means arranged for positively engaging'said cam followers as' thecam followers are moved past said cam means by said reciprocable'mem nber, said engagements' actuating'said disc carrythem to operate in suchtime relationship to each other that the insulating discs are assembledon the conductor at uniformly spaced intervals. f

What is claimed is: l. An apparatus for assembling discs on a corecomprising means for advancing 'a core, a base member, reciprocatingmeans movable thereon parallel to the core, means movable on and withrespect to said reciprocating means for receiving' and then assembling.discs on the core at spaced.

intervals, a cam follower on said movable `disc receiving and assemblingmeans, and cam means on said base member for positively engaging saidcam follower as the cam follower is moved past said cam means by saidvreciprocating means, said engagement actuating said disc receiving andassembling means in one direction to assemble the discs on the core.

2. An apparatus for assembling discs on a core comprising meansforadvancing a core, aA base member, a reciprocating member movablethereon parallel tothe core, means reciprocating transversely of and onsaid reciprocating memben for ing core. 5. An apparatus for assemblingradially slotted ing and applying means inv one direction to as'- semblediscs on thejcore, and means for advanc-v ing the core1 simultaneouslyreciprocating said member and operating said disc carrying 'and applyingmeans in timed relation toreceive discs from said supplying means andapply. them in predetermined spaced relation to the advancing core. Y

4. An apparatus for assembling radially slotted discs on va corecomprising a reciprocable'slde,

means for longitudinally guiding an advancing core parallel tothemovement. of and spaced from said slide, a reciprocable4 plungerjcarriedby and movable transversely of and during move- .ment of saidslidejsaid" plunger having a disc andconductorrecei'ving recess alignedwith the "advancing vconductor for applying a disc carried therein tothe conductor in the movement o f the plunger in one direction, meansfor supplying a disc with the open end of itsslot facing the conductorto said recess in the movement of the plunger in an-opposite direction,a cam follower on said plunger,.cam means arranged forpositivelyengaging said cam follower as the cam follower is movedp'ast said cammeans by said slide, said engagement actuatingV said plunger in onedirection to assemble discs on'the core, and means for advancing vthecore and reciprocating` said slide' and plunger in timed relationv toreceive discs fromsaid supplying means and apply them in predeterminedspaced relation to the advancdiscs on a conductor comprising a basemember,

a. slide reciprocably mounted on said base member, meansfor'longitudinally. guiding, and advancing a conductorparallel to themovementof f and spaced from said slide, a plunger .reciprocably mountedon said slide for movement transversely of and during movement thereof,said )plunger having a disc and conductor receiving recess aligned withthe advancing conductor for applying a disc carried therein to theconductorA Y in the movement' of the plunger in one direction,

means for supplying a disc with the open end of its slot aligned withthe conductor to said recess in the movement of the plunger in anopposite direction, and means including separate cam members mounted onsaid base, one being operatively connected to said slide forreciprocating the same and the other to said plunger, for co operativelyreciprocating said slide and plunger in timed relation to receive discsfrom said supply- Aing means and apply them in predetermined ductor, aplurality of spaced plungers movable transversely on said carriage forforcing notched insulating discs on the conductor at spaced intervals,means for supplying such discs to the plungers, camfollowers on saidplungers, and cam means on said base member for positively engaging saidcam followers as the vcam followers are moved past said cam means bysaid carriage l for actuating said plungers in timed relation duringmovement of the carriage.

7. An apparatus for applying notched insulating discs upon a continuousconductor, comprlsing a base member, a carriage slidably mounted on thebase member, means for continuously advancing a conductor at apredetermined rate above the carriage, means for reciprocating thecarriage in a. path parallel to the axis of the conductor, a pair ofspaced plungers slidably mounted on the carriage on opposite sides ofthe conductor for forcing insulating discs upon thel conductor at spacedintervals, a pair of disc supply means carried by the carriage forfeeding notched discs to the plungers with the notches therein facingthe conductor, cam followers on said plungers, and cam means on the basemember arranged in oil'set relation in the path of and positivelyengaging the cam followers at opposite sides of the base member as thecam followers are moved past said cam means by saidv carriage,A 'saidengagements actuating said plungers toward the conductor in timedrelation from opposite directions, whereby the insulating discs areapplied to the conductor at uniformly spaced intervals with the notchesof, alternate discs facing in opposite directions.

EDWARD BERTALAN.

